When Jonny and I started working on Pellicle in earnest at the very start of 2019, we spent a long afternoon discussing how we hoped to fund it. From day one, we were dedicated to paying every contributor who worked for us fairly.

At the same time, we wanted the site to be free and accessible for our readers, without the barrier of paywalls. We knew that we would be publishing in-depth features about pretty niche topics in the world of pubs and drinks. But we believed that the only reason they remained niche was because no one out there was platforming stories about them.

After this discussion, we decided to adopt our ‘pay-as-you-feel’ model—Pellicle would be 100% free to read, and if people liked it, they would have the option to voluntarily opt in to a monthly or yearly subscription, which they could also change or cancel anytime. Patreon was—and remains— the best option to support this model. It’s also been hugely successful for us: We now have more than 575 individuals and small businesses supporting our magazine. This, plus the support of a single ‘headline’ sponsor—a mantle taken recently by our friends and longtime supporters at Get ‘Er Brewed—has just about given us the funds needed to run the magazine for nearly seven years.

I say “just about” because we’ve never made a profit, and have been steadily making a small financial loss every year since Pellicle began. This has been manageable, and was always part of the plan: From the beginning, we intended to invest every single penny our subscribers gave us into the content we produced, and still do.

Since 2019, however, our costs have also been steadily increasing, including the admin fees we pay to host our site and our podcast, subscriptions to the software we use daily, and so on. We’ve also added a small retainer for members of our editorial team, and have increased the rates we pay our contributors twice. We like to say we’re competitive in this regard, but we’re still paying around 25% less than the rates recommended by the relevant trade unions for writers, photographers, and artists.

Our paying subscriber numbers have typically grown steadily, year-on-year, since Pellicle first began, and have helped offset those increases. 2023 and 2024 saw our biggest growth in terms of overall subscriber numbers, but 2025 has so far seen our smallest overall increase since 2019.

We’re determined to keep Pellicle sustainable, and when we say sustainable, we don’t just mean having enough money in the kitty to pay for the next article, and the one after that. Being a sustainable publication means fair remuneration for our team, and it means being able to pay according to market rates. We want writers, illustrators, and photographers to know they’ll be fairly, and swiftly, remunerated for their contributions to Pellicle.

We have big plans for the year ahead, not least a more significant entry into print. We’re raring to go, but we don’t yet have the means to do so. That’s where you come in: If you loved something you read or listened to from Pellicle this year, we want to invite you to join us as one of our subscribers. And there’s no better time to do so than right now.

That’s because, from the 5th of January, 2026, we will be raising our subscription rates slightly.

However, rates for existing subscribers will remain unchanged for as long as they stay on a specific subscription tier. All subscriptions taken out before January 5th will lock in the old rates—plus, if you choose an annual plan instead of a monthly one, you’ll get an additional 10% off.

The bottom line: If you plan to stick around and support us for the long-term, now is the chance to make a decent saving.

Our subscription tiers (exclusive of local taxes, and not inclusive of the 10% discount on annual subscriptions) will be increasing as follows:

£1 — £1.50 (50% increase)
£4 — £5 (25% increase)
£8 — £9 (12.5% increase)
£20 — No increase
£40 — £45 (12.5% increase)
£80 — £85 (6.25% increase)

At Pellicle, we’re proud to be reader-supported and free to read, and we remain dedicated to producing the best features and podcasts about drinks culture possible. We have always believed in the value of independent media, and in building our publication one reader at a time.

All we ask is that, if you enjoy our work and think it has value, you choose to become a subscriber for as long as you’re able. Cancel or change your tier anytime (noting that, after January 5th, you’ll do so at the new prices). But supporting us—even if just for the price of a pint, a nice glass of wine, a cup of coffee, or a cocktail a month—will make a huge difference to the future of the publication.

Thank you for reading this far, and thanks for your continued support. We’re as determined as ever to keep Pellicle thriving in 2026 and beyond, but we can only do that with your support.

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